As for me: the gizmo I made either leaks like a seive or is unbalanced... take your pick of which.

The basic concept appears to be quite good. the problem was attempting to use a flat o-ring as a gasket. This either deforms the plate alignment, when not torqued properly, causing out of balance or tightened enough to keep things lined up it cuts the o-ring and leaks.

The machinist suggested adding about 20 bolts to the perimeter. At $4 bucks a bolt we went another direction... not to mention... 20 boltS??? Gee'z lol

Solution:new round o-rings of a different size have been ordered. The bottom plate that meets the side wall is being recut to provide a side seal versus end seal. this provides a metal to metal butress so everything remains tight and in balance and doesn't leak.

This doesn't add significant machine time and was considered earlier and dropped "assuming" the o-rings were more capable.

new expected date for the plates is friday or monday... pending o-ring arrival for fittment.

reflection:The flat o-ring idea would have worked fine had the sidewall material been 3/8", but the whole idea for me is to get the rotating weight and cost down to a minimum. not sure a want a ten pound bomb going off when it could be a two-pounder instead.

Though your argument is very clever, I don't think it will lead to the results you desire. gandhi

I guess I am not getting the whole picture. Would someone explain a bit to me. I am understanding that with the centrifuge that when it spins and the oil moves against the wall the particles remain while the oil moves out. Does this include water as well? Will this de-water as well as clean the oil? Sorry for the ignorance but looking for clarity to understand what I am going to order. Thanks!

This sounds like the cat's meow.....I believe it would save alot of time and aggrivation.I would be interested in someone giving me a quote on what it would cost to buy the finished product.I dont need anything massive....if it does 5-10 gallons a day that would work for me.

I would love to make one myself...but i feel my time would be spent better elsewhere.Anyone?

Originally posted by wannabeefficient:This sounds like the cat's meow.....I believe it would save alot of time and aggrivation.I would be interested in someone giving me a quote on what it would cost to buy the finished product.I dont need anything massive....if it does 5-10 gallons a day that would work for me.

I would love to make one myself...but i feel my time would be spent better elsewhere.Anyone?

I second this! Anyone willing to build some of these and sell them to those of us who are not so mechanically gifted to build one.

Buuuuuud, you seem like the logical choice. Why don't you build some and sell to us. I want something around 30 gallons per 24 hours that will fit the back of my van, or trunk of my car for on-the road dewatering and filtering. Preferably a sealed design so that filtering can continue while driving.

Jojo

Location: KTown - Itch Capital of the World | Registered: June 04, 2006

Preferably a sealed design so that filtering can continue while driving.

I'm not sure you could make enough economical power to spin it while driving down the road. assuming you could, you might open a can of worms with the gyroscopic forces that, I think, would come into play.

good thought and worth exploring though...

Though your argument is very clever, I don't think it will lead to the results you desire. gandhi

Im6 how are you making your rotor?I'm thinking about a piece of pipe and welding to plate on it. Possibly usins a small axle set in two bearings with a seperate motor and pulley set up. Not sure, will sleep on it.

That said thanks for the idea bud, you deserve a pat on the back, out there in the west.

To help balance the rotor how about some copper tube or simular bent into a PERFECT circle by a machine shop. Radius close to that of the rotor. Filled partially with some flued. I would assume water, maybe a little oil in it too. Soder the fill hole shut. Anyway take this and braze to the bottom or outside edge of the rotor. As the rotor spins the fluid inside the tube will help to balance the thing. Some concept used on washing machines and automatic tire balancer rings.

For a diagrahm on the subject do a google searach for EQUAL tire balancer. (may be spelled wrong). Im sure some site on that product will have a demo drawing or something.

I did get you order with many thanks. I put your plans in the mail today.

wannabeefficient,

I made the plans so that all of the DIY guys would have the satifaction of creating something for themselves at a reasonable price.

I'm to old, to fat and to lazy to start another buiness, however if I was going to build a centrifuge to sell, or if anyone else did it to sell, I'm sure the price would be around $2500.00 to $3000.00 at the least as there is a lot of exrta costs concerning safty and liability issues and parts supplys and such. And of course it wouldn't be as crude and ugly as my machine, but it would do just as good a job. The guys that don't have the skills, time or tools to make their own can take the plans to most any local machine shop and have one built for around 5 to 8 hundred bucks.

Coachgeo,

Maybe I missed something in your post, but I must disagree with you thoughts about a copper tube partially filled with water or some other liquid. I think the liquid would work its way around to one side and make the balance problem worse. I think back when I was a kid. We had a tractor that had liquid in the tires, and there was an air space at the top of the tire. Bring a kid and always wanting to go faster, I had many experiences with that old tractor jumping like a bucking horse because the liquid would not spread out around the tire. That sucker would get to jumping so bad that I had trouble getting my hand on the throttle to shut it down.There should be some way to make a self balancing system though. I'm quite sure that one of these days, one of you brains out there will figure it out.

im6under,

I'm real disapointed that your rotor had problems but I know you will get your ducks back in the groove and make it work.

I've had a lot of conversation with people about wheather to bolt, weld or machine the rotor and I don't think there is any one choice that is better than the other. Keep us all in the loop please.

Buuud,The partially liquid filled thingie wouldn't work on the tractor because of gravity drawing the fluid towards the ground as the speed was too slow to equally distribute the fluid around the wheel.If, on the other hand, the tractor wheel would have been mouted horizontally (parallell to the ground) the fluid would have spread out all around the tire and helped balancing it.

The question is a bit moot though, as the oil in the centrifuge would do the same job, helping out to balance the rotor.

I too am working on a centrifuge using Buuds plans and have come into a source of centrifuges that will work for what we need when I get the machine work done. I should have maybe 2-3 left over when I get through when I'm done depending on if I can talk my brother into doing this for himself. These will be professional centrifuges, not for the faint of heart as they are variable speed, electric braking (for stopping) locked down lid etc, And they are heavy, about 360 lbs each so the shipping will have to go Freight line with a liftgate at the drop off point. They have casters to roll around the shop if need be. If interested in one of these and can wait about 1 month, let me know. I will also have fully tested them before shipping. Also to protect Buuuds interest, I will send him payment for a set of plans for each one that sells, Auction winner etc. (If that is OK with you Buuud) I'm new to the forum, but always been a tinkerer with this type of thing.

Originally posted by priespa1:Buuud,The partially liquid filled thingie wouldn't work on the tractor because of gravity drawing the fluid towards the ground as the speed was too slow to equally distribute the fluid around the wheel....

Bud just look up "Equal" or "automatic tire balancer" to get an explanation of how and why it works even on a verticle oriented tire.

quote:

The question is a bit moot though, as the oil in the centrifuge would do the same job, helping out to balance the rotor.

If this was true then why would we be having this conversation about balancing the rotor? I do mean this as a technical question.